United States Pauses Participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense

Noah Note

Of course things happen as I'm out of the country lol. We couldn't hold back the drama for a few days? Unfortunately this will have to be a bit quick, as I do need some rest as I am travelling esrly tomorrow.

In a bit of a sudden, surprise move, Under Secretary of War Elbridge ‘The Biggest Cheese’ Colby has announced on X of all places that the Unites States would be pausing participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defence, the Oldest and most Foundational node of the Canada-US security partnership.

For those who want the whole tweet:

As we all know, on August 17, 1940, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King met in a railway car in Ogdensburg, New York. They issued the Ogdensburg Declaration, an agreement to create a joint board to study sea, land, and air defense problems.

For over 80 years the PJBD has serves as one of the major intersects of the Canada-US relationship. It has been the forum where we have been able to engage and work collaboratively on matters of National Security, Continental Defence, and Critical Infrastructure.

Obviously, given how late it is for me, I sadly can't dive head first into things. However, I did wanna get something out there. It's no doubt a very petty move to make, part of a long line of petty moves between everyone in the last year. The pressure is obviously there to push Canada along, and the inclusion of the Prime Ministers Davos speech by Colby should go as a sign to one of the areas that is troubling the current administration.

Trying to apply pressure through such acts though isnt sonething that I think will be sucsessful. Granted, being a bit of a dick and doing petty shit in hopes of manipulating opinions, only for it to backfire due to a general miscalculation, is something this Administration does on the regular, and so I can't be surprised to see it done here.

Its a needless step that will only make cooperation more difficult between us, and likely build a deeper case for diversification at a time when the Canadian government was keeping itself fairly commited to American products, and one where the overall trend was moving towards a state of acceptance.

Does this change much? No, not really. It'll insult some people, make everyones lives a bit more complicated, and turn some away from the American side. However in the long-run? I doubt this will do much more than be an annoyance and another gripe in everyones side.

From a procurement side of things this is primarily performative and unlikely to be anyones sudden tipping point. Still a dick move though. Cant argue that.